This is a blog dedicated to highlight the issue of Christian Persecution in India. The posts here in contain information about Christian Persecution in India from various sources with links and some exclusive to us. No Copyright infringement is intended. This is only for the purpose of spreading awareness about the ongoing Christian persecution in India. We have no political affiliations. We hope for a nation where all could live in peace with each other.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

MUMBAI:
Maharashtra has witnessed among the largest number of communal attacks
on Christians in 2013, second only to Karnataka, says a
recently-released report by the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), an
organization chaired by Justice Michael Saldanha, former judge at the
Bombay and Karnataka high courts. Across the country, the report points
at 4,000-odd offenses aimed at Christians, with 400 clergy and 100
churches attacked in a year.
While Karnataka may have had a
higher number of attacks on Christians over the last year, the report
suggests that Maharashtra is the next Hindutva laboratory. "The new
government in Karnataka is sensitive to the attacks on Christians.
However, in Maharashtra, the police and the lower levels of state
administration are highly saffronized," said Joseph Dias, author of the
report and general secretary of CSF.

From the desecration of a heritage cross in Mumbai and a statue of Jesus at Mangaon to violent

attacks on priests and nuns across the state, Dias says few other
minorities would have been as tolerant to such attacks as Christians
have been. "We're looked at as easy targets as we do not fight back. We
are compelled to turn the other cheek because our religion teaches us
not to resort to violence."

Growing attacks on India's Christian
minority form the unreported story of communalism in India, says Harsh
Mander, social activist and former member of India's National Advisory
Council, who has worked extensively with victims of communal violence.
"Unlike pogroms targeted at the Muslim community, attacks on Christians
are of a low intensity, though very widespread. You don't have the sort
of large outbreaks that you see in case of Hindu-Muslim clashes, and
hence attacks on Christians often do not attract the same attention.
However, there is a pattern emerging when it comes to attacks on
Christians. Much of it is a result of Hindutva propaganda over what is
perceived to be mass conversions. Like much hate propaganda, however, it
is not backed by evidence to show any large increase in India's
Christian population," said Mander.

Saldanha feels the onslaught against Christians is a cause for deep concern, especially in the run up to the Lok Sabha
elections. "No party says they stand for communal violence, and yet
such attacks continue unchecked," says Saldanha. In addition to violent
attacks, Dias points to discrimination against the church in cities like
Mumbai where the civic administration is ruled by the Shiv Sena-BJP
combine. "There have been instances where Christian burial grounds were
destroyed to widen nullahs on one side of the road, leaving the other
side of the road untouched," says Dias.

Persecution of Christians in 2013

(Report by Catholic Secular Forum)

*Instances of persecution against Christians were highest in Karnataka,
followed by both Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh at no. 2.

*Odisha, Chhattisgarh, MP, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan and Delhi were among the top ten states where persecution occurred.

*Around 4,000 Christians were targeted in anti-Christian violence across India.

*Over 1,000 women and 500 children were victims of violence.

*Over 400 clergy and community leaders were attacked.

*About 100 churches and places of worship were attacked.

*7 were killed for their faith, including a 7-year-old child in Rajasthan.

Mumbai (Agenzia Fides) - There are over 4,000 registered cases of
anti-Christian violence in 2013, carried out mostly by Hindu extremist
groups who are active in the country. The incidents include the murder
of 7 faithful, including a minor; 1,000 women, 500 children and about
400 priests of different confessions suffered abuses and beatings;
attacks against more than 100 churches and places of Christian worship.
These are the figures in the new "Report on persecution in 2013"
prepared by a forum of organizations and Christian organizations in the
Indian civil society, and sent to Fides Agency.
The Report was presented recently to Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop
of Bombay and President of the Episcopal Conference of India. As
reported to Fides, the document was drawn up thanks to the collaboration
among the associations "Catholic Secular Forum" ( CSF), "All India
Christian Council", "Evangelical Fellowship of India", "Global Council
of Indian Christians", "World Watch monitor". The Report was delivered
to the Bishops by the two lay Catholics Joseph Dias and Judge Michael
Saldanha, respectively Secretary and President of CSF.
Out of 4,000 incidents, described in detail in the text sent to Fides,
over 200 are severe cases of persecution which occurred mainly in some
states: especially in Karnataka where, despite the change of government,
Christian persecution is widespread, and Maharashtra that "seems to be
the next laboratory of Hindu extremism", notes the text. Other states in
the "top ten" of persecutions are: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Gujarat, Orissa , Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala.
The Report also examines the flaws in the Indian legal system, which
allow the spread of violence and the impunity of the perpetrators. The
laws "under fire" are the Presidential Order of 1950, which denies Dalit
Christians and other minorities the rights granted to Hindu Dalits; the
anti-conversion laws in force in seven Indian states like Orissa,
Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh,
Himachal Pradesh.
The Report points out that a comprehensive law to stop violence,
presented last year, has not yet been examined and discussed in
Parliament. In most of the cases examined, "the police refuse to
register complaints" and the Indian media fail to report the news or
minimize it, the text concludes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/01/2014)

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Evangelist Benny Hinn has cancelled his trip to Bangalore, India
where he was to participate in a prayer conference this week. The
cancellation, reportedly due to a "visa problem," comes amid protests
among Hindu groups who were concerned about Hinn converting their
countrymen to Christianity.

Kamal Panth, the Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), revealed to
the press on Tuesday that organizers of the Christian Prayer Conference
had informed the authorities that Hinn's visit had been cancelled.

"Earlier
organizers had said he will be coming; recently they have sent us a
letter with names of pastors attending, which does not mention his name —
so they have said he is not coming," Panth was quoted as saying.

Hinn
has since scrubbed any reference to the Jan. 15-19 conference from the
itinerary on his official website, which now lists a "special anointing
service" in Dubai as his next engagement on Jan. 24.

Hindu groups
in the Indian State of Karnataka, of which Bangalore is the capital, had
been gathering in protests since last week to demand that lawmakers
keep Hinn from attending the Christian Prayer Conference being hosted by
the local Bethel Assembly of God Church. The faith-healer was targeted by
Hindu activists for allegedly "coming to Karnataka with a hidden agenda
of converting Hindus to Christianity," referencing Hinn's 2005 visit to
the region that saw a mass turnout.

During his 2005 visit for the
"Festival of Blessings, "10,000 law enforcement officials were deployed
at the Jakkur airfield where the crusade was held. Meanwhile, locals
rioted in the streets, setting buses on fire and prompting businesses to
close their doors. Hindus comprise 80.5 percent of India's population
of 1.2 billion, with Muslims being about 13.4 percent and Christians 2.3
percent of the population.

The Christian Prayer Conference will
go on without Hinn, and local authorities have not strayed from their
plans to provide ample security to avoid repeat unrest in the city.

While
Hinn's website no longer references the Christian Prayer Conference,
event host Bethel Assembly of God Church was still advertising the
evangelist's appearance on both its website and on the event wbsite Tuesday.
The event has been extended for an additional two days. There was also a
message from organizers on the website that put into question the exact
reason for Hinn's reported cancellation: "We thank God for helping us
obtain all permissions required for visa clearance for Pastor Benny Hinn
(and) others." It was unclear when the message was posted on Bethel
Assembly of God Church's website.

The purpose of the conference
was to bring together Christian ministry leaders "for a time of unity,
prayer and fellowship" and to provide a "unique moment to refresh and
enlarge the vision and the call of God." Others scheduled for the prayer
conference include Pastor Paul Dhinakaran, an evangelical preacher
whose father (Duraisamy Geoffery Samuel Dhinakaran) has been called "the
Billy Graham of India" by Lakewood Church Pastor Joel Osteen, Nigerian
televangelist Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, and Bethel Assembly of God Church
Senior Pastor M.A. Varughese.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Police arrested two pastors and seven believers including three women on charge of forcible conversion on 29 Dec in Ranibagicha, Jashpur District of Chhattisgarh. A group of Hindu extremists barged into the Sunday worship meeting conducted by Pastor Palath Dungdung and accused the Christians of forceful conversion and of luring people to convert into Christianity, reported our correspondent, Rev Akhilesh Edgar. The extremists also entered into the nearby house church of Calvary Gospel Mission worship meeting conducted by Pastor Lalit Kujur and accused him of forceful conversion. Police reached the spot and took 25 Christians including two pastors to the police station for questioning. Two pastors and seven believers including three women were arrested under Sections 295 A, 153 A, 120 B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3 & 4 of Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act. They were sent to District Jail. Jashpur on the same day. Their bail petition has been rejection. On the same day of the arrests, local Bhartiya Janta Party leader Ranvijay Singhdev accompanied by Rajsharan Bhagat (BJP MLA from Jashpur), Jageshwar Ram (Ex MLA), many leaders ad workers of BJP and Hindu organizations sat on one day hunger strike on 29 December, to protest against "conversion".

Police arrested two pastors and seven believers including three women on charge of forcible conversion on 29 Dec in Ranibagicha, Jashpur District of Chhattisgarh. A group of Hindu extremists barged into the Sunday worship meeting conducted by Pastor Palath Dungdung and accused the Christians of forceful conversion and of luring people to convert into Christianity, reported our correspondent, Rev Akhilesh Edgar. The extremists also entered into the nearby house church of Calvary Gospel Mission worship meeting conducted by Pastor Lalit Kujur and accused him of forceful conversion. Police reached the spot and took 25 Christians including two pastors to the police station for questioning. Two pastors and seven believers including three women were arrested under Sections 295 A, 153 A, 120 B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3 & 4 of Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act. They were sent to District Jail. Jashpur on the same day. Their bail petition has been rejection. On the same day of the arrests, local Bhartiya Janta Party leader Ranvijay Singhdev accompanied by Rajsharan Bhagat (BJP MLA from Jashpur), Jageshwar Ram (Ex MLA), many leaders ad workers of BJP and Hindu organizations sat on one day hunger strike on 29 December, to protest against "conversion".